Saving Seafood

Sheriff’s deputy charged with smuggling in fishing scheme

May 10, 2016 — BOSTON — A Bristol County sheriff’s deputy has been indicted on charges he helped a New Bedford fishing mogul smuggle profits out of the country.

Antonio Freitas, of Taunton, was arrested Monday for bulk cash smuggling and related crimes.

Prosecutors say Carlos Rafael, who owns Carlos Seafood, Inc., lied to federal authorities for years about the quantity and species of fish his boats caught to evade federal quotas.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Boston Globe

Carlos Rafael, New Bedford’s ‘Codfather’, indicted on 27 counts

May 9, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Local fishing magnate Carlos Rafael has been indicted by federal prosecutors for lying about fish catches and smuggling cash to Portugal through Logan airport in Boston, in a multi-year scheme involving hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to records filed last week and unsealed Monday.

The indictment lists 27 counts against Rafael, for charges including conspiracy, false entries and bulk cash smuggling. Rafael is alleged to have falsely reported the species of more than 815,000 pounds of fish to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) between 2012 and January of this year, according to the Office of U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz.

“On a yearly basis, Rafael’s routine falsification of dealer reports he submitted to NOAA created substantial discrepancies between the fishing activity he reported and the fish caught by his fishing vessels and acquired by Carlos Seafood,” the indictment states.

Bristol County Sheriff’s Office deputy Antonio M. Freitas, a Taunton resident, also is named in the indictment. Freitas is charged with two counts, one for bulk cash smuggling and one for international structuring.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

SMAST Fisheries scientists to present current cooperative research projects at Dock-u-mentaries program

May 9, 2016 — The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues on Friday, May 20th at 7:00 PM with Fishing for Knowledge: Cooperative Research for Sustainable Fisheries in New England. Dock-u-entaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, and the Working Waterfront Festival. Films about the working waterfront are screened on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Guide

Eric Hansen: Atlantic marine monument would harm fisheries

May 6, 2016 — With President Obama leaving office in less than a year, environmental groups have urged him to once again use executive authority via the Antiquities Act to declare a new marine national monument, this time in the Atlantic Ocean. Such a proposal, which circumvents all established rules and procedures, is fundamentally undemocratic, and would put a stranglehold on the commercial fishing industry.

A presidential declaration of a new national marine monument would result in potentially thousands of acres of prime fishing ground being closed off to fishermen. This would lead directly to increased costs for seafood processors, restaurants, and yes, seafood consumers. All of this will be done through a process that solicited little public input or stakeholder engagement and disregards the current, successful management process.

Such a declaration would also go against rules set out by President Obama himself. Specifically, Executive Order 13563 details the manner in which new regulations should be created and implemented. In that document, the guidelines were very clear: Regulations should not hinder the economy, should be implemented following public engagement and participation, should be based on best available science, and should be flexible.

Read the full opinion piece at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Vessel owners fined for fishing in protected areas

May 4, 2016 — BOSTON — The owners of two fishing vessels paid civil fines after fishing in protected areas in 2013 and 2014.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration resolved the civil penalty cases after the crews of the vessels were found to have violated the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, according to a press release from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Following up on a referral from NOAA law enforcement officers, on March 21, 2014, a crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod spotted the fishing vessel Warrior, of New Bedford, fishing for scallops in Closed Area II Essential Fish Habitat, according to the release. The area, about 120 miles east of Cape Cod, is one of five closed fishing areas in New England that cover 8,000 square miles of protected waters, according to the release.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

Massachusetts: Fishing Heritage Center Launches Effort to Digitize Community History

May 3, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

New Bedford, MA— May is National Preservation Month, a time when people across America celebrate their history, culture, and special places. The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will host two free events dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the local fishing community.

On Tuesday, May 10th at 7:00 p.m., the Center hosts an Industry Antiques Road Show. Several members of the fishing community will display family photographs, documents, and artifacts and share stories about how the industry and community have changed over time.  This event will be held at the Fishing Heritage Center (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) providing attendees with a sneak peek of the space which opens to the public on June 25th.

On Saturday, May 21st at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (33 William Street, New Bedford) the Center will hold a Fishing Heritage Digitizing Day from 11:00-3:30. Fishing community members are invited to bring photographs, documents and/or artifacts reflecting their fishing heritage. These items will be scanned and/or photographed to create a digital record.  Preservation specialists will provide advice about preserving your past and industry experts will help identify people and places in photographs. An oral historian will record community stories.

Those who participate by sharing their photographs, documents, or artifacts will be given a USB drive containing the scanned images of their materials.  Digital files will be archived at UMASS Boston, UMASS Dartmouth, the New Bedford Public Library and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

These events are part of Salted, Pickled, or Smoked: Preserving & Presenting the Cultural Heritage of the New Bedford/Fairhaven Fishing Community, a year-long effort to digitize the cultural heritage of New Bedford’s fishing community. The project is a collaboration involving the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, University Archives and Special Collections at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Clair T. Carney Library at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MIT Sea Grant, the New Bedford Public Library, and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Funding for this project is provided through a Common Heritage Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Regulators Consider How To Save Southern New England Lobster

May 2, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Interstate fishing regulators will consider authorizing new tools to address southern New England’s declining lobster population.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board will consider the status of the fishery on Monday. The board will discuss a potential motion to create new management measures that address the lobsters’ decline.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at CBS Boston

Federal grant to fund New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center film

May 2, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — A $20,000 Maritime Heritage Grant is going to be used to produce the orientation film for the fledgling New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, according to Executive Director Laura Orleans.

She told The Standard-Times it was the full amount the center sought from the the Maritime Heritage Program, which is part of the National Park Service’s Park History Program. “We got the full amount I was flabbergasted,” Orleans said.

Tentatively titled,“Resilience: The Story of New Bedford’s Fishing Industry,” the film will be produced by local filmmaker Kevin Kertscher, whose Big Ocean media is located on lower William Street near the Whaling Museum.

The plan is to have the film ready to roll in June 2017.

The heritage center is already using a $12,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is paying to digitize all the materials being brought in by private parties to build a digital library for the center, which is opening June 25 at 39 Bethel St.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center Awarded $20K Maritime Heritage Grant

April 29, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is pleased to announce its receipt of a $20,000 Maritime Heritage Grant. The grant will be used to fund the creation of a 15-minute orientation film, tentatively titled “Resilience: The Story of New Bedford’s Fishing Industry”.

The Center will work with Big Ocean Media to produce the film which will present an overview of the history and development of New Bedford’s commercial fishing industry from 1900 to the present, exploring life at sea, life on shore, and sustaining the resource. The Center expects to complete the film in time for the 2017 summer season.

The film will be shown at the Fishing Heritage Center (opening June 25th in the heart of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park). In addtition, the film will be shown at the City’s Waterfront Visitor Center, the State Pier Ferry Terminal, to passengers on board the Seastreak Fast Ferry (providing transit between New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket), and to passengers on cruise ships that visit New Bedford on weekly basis during the summer months. Copies of the film will also be made available to local schools and libraries.

The Maritime Heritage Program is part of the National Park Service’s Park History Program. For centuries, Americans have used waterways for commerce, transportation, defense, and recreation. The Maritime Heritage Program works to advance awareness and understanding of the role of maritime affairs in the history of the United States. Winners of the 2015 Maritime Heritage Grants were announced on Monday, April 25, 2016 on board the USS Constellation in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  A total of $2,580,197.37 was awarded to 34 projects in 19 states.

MASSACHUSETTS: House budget includes money for SMAST

April 29, 2016 — Next year’s state budget, passed by the House on Wednesday, includes increased funding for city public schools; money to expand fisheries research; and money for community programs.

“This is a big victory, I was able to secure most of what we asked for,” Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral, D-New Bedford, said Thursday. The budget awaits approval by the state Senate.

Notable funds set to come the city’s way include $450,000 for fisheries research conducted by UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST).

“This is critically important,” said SMAST Dean Steven Lohrenz. “Funds have been tight lately so this will allow us to continue to do the kind of pioneering work we’ve been doing with our collaborative fisheries research.”

The research conducted by SMAST looks at ways to improve accuracy in fisheries data collection. Lohrenz said that the new funds will allow researchers to conduct new projects including video survey techniques of cod and other groundfish.

“Their progress with data collection is very important for our fisheries industry especially with federal regulations that could cut quotas for the next fishing cycle,” Cabral said. “We’re hoping down the road that they can do for ground fish what they did for the scallop industry.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times